HKAN are not conducting roots tracing, adoption record recovery or immigration/visa processes our selves. The information on this page is a guide only to help you to pursue these individually. Any of these processes can take much longer than you might expect and may not always be fruitful. Try and have all the correct documentation you may need well in advance of any trip.
Records & Roots Tracing
Adoption Unit of Social Welfare Department in Hong Kong
The Adoption Unit SWD mainly deals with domestic adoptions and their website has a lot of useful downloadable documentation about the HK adoption process. SWD is a good place to start looking for adoption info and roots tracing serves.
Adoption Unit Enquiries:
Tel: +852 3595 1935
Email: auenq@swd.gov.hk
Website: www.swd.gov.hk (Adoption Unit)
Address: Room 201, 2/F., North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, HK
If they are able to help you, you will need to prove your identity (and if overseas you’ll likely need to get a “notarized or attested by a notary public or a Commissioner for Oaths” of your passport/id) and a copy of your Adoption Order or Adoption Certificate.
You can also request Access to Personal Data from SWD.
International Social Services Hong Kong Branch
ISS (Adoption) help arrange international adoption. There is a lot of documents and links about how to adopt internationally from HK.
Tel: +852 2834 6863
Email: ia@isshk.org
Website: www.isshk.org (Services for Children & Youths >> Adoption)
Adress: 2/F, 2 Lung Wan Street, North District Community Centre, Sheung Shui, N.T, HK
Orphanages & Care Services
There are a number of different orphanages in HK. Some are still very active which have grow to bigger organizations offering more services, whereas some have sadly gone. If you know you are from a specific orphanage this may help you in your search or you maybe able to connect with other adoptees/orphans.
Mother’s Choice
They care for babies and children needing permanent homes and for single girls facing pregnancies.
Po Leung Kuk
They provide residential care services for children and facilitate adoption among many other services. They have a museum with archives and if you are from Po Leung Kuk they may allow you to take a tour of the facilities.
Fanling Babies Home
This website is a good resource about Fanling Babies Home, but there is interesting history/link on other orphanages well.
ID, Passports & Immigration
Immigration Department
It is likely that some point you will want to find information about ID & passport application, right of abode, birth death & marriage registers, access to information & records and fun stuff like that. Also if you are in HK you may want to make an appoint to met them in person.
Tel: +852 2824 6111
Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk
Website: www.immd.gov.hk (more userfriendly version www.gov.hk)
Adress: Immigration Department, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
GovHK Website
GovHK say they are “…the one-stop portal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, making information and services of the public sector easier to find and use.” And they are not wrong! This is a brillant resource for anyone to start looking for HK Government based info which consolidates many of the different Government departments into a much more user friendly site.
Website: www.gov.hk
We are sure that you will be able to find the relevant info yourself but we thought we’d try and make it quicker for you.
Overseas Application for Permanent Identity Card
Right of Abode
Eligibility for HKSAR Passport
Applying for a Search of Birth Records and a Certified Copy of a Birth Entry
General Visa Information